Toy cannon



M. E. JOHNSON.

TOY CANNON.

APPLICATION FILED on. 15, 1920.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 15. 1920 1,364,765.

I %N m M. E. JOHNSON.

TOY CANNON.

APPLICATION F|LED 0CT. 15, I920.

gwvem roz MEL/072725022;

UNITED STATES PATENT ornce.

MANTON E; Jonnso t, OF ST. non-Is, MISSOURI.

Application filed October 15,1920.

T 0 all whom it may concern: 7 Be it known that I, MAN'roiv E. JoHNsoN,a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis andState of Missour have invented certain new and useful Improvements inToy-Cannons, of which the following is specification. V This, inventionrelates to toys and more Particularly to toy cannons. The object of theinvention is to provide a device of this character constructed tosimultaneously fire a percussion cap and expel a projectile therebyclosely simulating a real cannon or gun.

Another object is to provide a toy of tms character in which a hammer orfiring pin and projectile expelling plunger are carried by the sameplunger rod and operate on the longitudinal movement of the rod in onedirection to. fire the cap and expel the projectile.

With these and otherolojects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction as hereinaftershown and described andspecifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 represents a top plan view of a to} cannon constructed inaccordance with this invention with the carriagein connec: tioii withwhich it is to be used omitted.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionthereof.

3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a similar View taken on the line 4+4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective View of the trigger.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a slightly different form of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal vertical section, partly in side elevation.

Fig. 9 is a transverse section taken on line 9-9'o'f Fig. 8, and.

Fig. 1 0. is a detail perspective view of the plunger retracting member.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 the cannon 1 embodyingthis invention is shown composed of a barrel section 2 and a rear casing3mounted on the rear end of the barrel section to protect the partscarried thereby. The barrel section 2 has a bore 4 extendinglongitudinally therethrough in which is mounted to. reciprocate aplunger 5 carried by a rod 6: which extends through TOY CANNON.

atented, J an.- 1921- Serial No. 417,176,

which is here shown in the form of a hook positioned to engagepercussion caps which are mounted in a pocket 12.

The. plunger rod6 isequipped with a plu-v rality of longitudinallyspaced notches 13 which are designed to be engaged by. a spring Ipressed trigger 14 to hold the plunger in retracted position againstthe. tension ofi a coiled spring 16 which encircles the rod 6 betweenplate '7 and the plunger or piston 5.

The trigger 14: has an operating finger 15 projecting radially throughone side wall of the casing 3 and is designed to. e moved manually bythe operator for releasing the body portion 14 thereof from the notch 13of the plunger rod 6 and thus permit the expansion spring 16 to expandand project the plu ge 5. and any ar icle. which may have been insertedin the bore, 4; of the barrel, the firing pin simultaneously exploding acap so as to' simulate a real gun.

The casing 3 has a bayonet slot 17 tormed in its inner edge which isdesigned to inter a e' y ngage th a p n 18 r ia n from plate 8 and bymeans of Which the cas} ing is held in operative position. This casingalso has a kn b or and e 3? arr ed by its rear face to facilitatemanipulation of the cannon.

The spring trigger l t is held in resilient engagement with the rod 6 bymeans of a pin 19 bearing thereon near the end Which connected to plate7 and another pin 19 operates to limit the releasing movement of thistrigger.

Projecting laterally from opposite sides of the'barrel 2 are twotrunnions 20, which are designed to. be mounted in the supportingstructure of a carriage (not shown), to provide for the tilting of thecannon in the carriage.

In the use of this device the parts being in the position shown in Fig.2 in which the spring 16 is not under tension the cap 3 is removed bydisengaging slot 17 from pin 18. The plunger is then retracted bygrasping the rod 6 and exerting a rearward pull thereon and when thedesired tension of spring 16 has been obtained the trigger 14 will dropinto one of the notches 13 and lock the plunger in retracted position.It will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 2 that these notches 13 aremade in the form of a ratchet so that when the rod is moved rearwardlythe trigger will ride freely thereover and yet will lock the rod againstforward movement.

The gun may also be set by inserting a rod through the front end of bore4 and forcing the plunger 5 backward until it has reached the desiredpoint when the trigger will operate in the manner above described tohold it in this position. After the plunger has been set or before asmay be desirable a percussion cap is inserted in the seat or pocket 12and lies in the path of the firing pin 11 ready for use.

The projectile desired to be shot from the cannon is inserted in thebore 4 preferably until it reaches and rests on the plunger 5. Theoperator then raises the trigger finger 15 sufficiently to release thebody portion of the trigger from the notch 13 of the plunger rod 6 andinstantly the sprin 16 will expand forcibly moving the plunger 5 outwardand simultaneously moving the firing pin forward so that the articleresting against the plunger will be projected at the same time thefiring pin explodes the percussion cap.

In the form shown in Figs. 7 to 10 the cap 3 may be either removably orfixedly secured to the barrel 1 equipped with a cap carrier 21 composedof two rightangularly disposed connected plates 22 and 23 hingedlyconnected at the junction of said plates, as shown at 24, to a spacer 25mounted between plates 7 and 8 and projecting beyond the outer face ofthe barrel.

The free end of plate 23 carries a cap seat 26 positioned to hold a capin the path of the firing pin 11 (see Fig. 8). The plate 22 is arcuatein cross section as shown in Fig. 9 and overlaps the edges of theopening 3" and forms a closure therefor.

The barrel 1 has a transverse opening 27 communicating with bore 4' andwhich is so positioned as to permit projectiles to be fed to bore 4 inadvance of plunger 5. This opening has a pivoted closure 28 mounted overopening 27 in a recess 29 of the barrel so that the'closure will beflush with the barrel. This plunger 5 is similar to plunger 5 of theother figures being carried by rod 6" having the firing pin 11 at itsrear end and on which a coiled spring 16 is mounted between plunger 5and plate 7. This rod 6 is equipped with the trigger receiving notches13 similar to those of the other figures whereby the plunger is lockedby trigger 14 in retracted position against the tension of spring 16.

ing spring 16.

A plunger retractor or setter 30 is shown in detail in Fig. 10 andcomprises an elongated plate 31 having its inner or front end bent atrightangles to form an arm 32 provided with an aperture 33 for the loosepassage therethrough of the plunger rod 16. This arm also carries a rod34 arranged parallel with plate 31 for a purpose presently to bedescribed. Plate 31 has a longitudinal slot 35 therein for the passagetherethrough of the firing pin neck. This plate also has an aperture 36in its rear or outer end to provide a finger grip for operating theretractor.

This retractor 30 is mounted in cap 3 on the plunger rod 6' with theneck pin 11 extended through slot 35 and with the outer apertured end ofplate 31 projecting through the rear wall of cap 3. The rod 34 has itsfree end slidably mounted in the rear wall of cap 3 and on it betweensaid wall and arm 32 is mounted a coiled spring 37 designed to returnthe retractor 30 after the plunger has been set thereby.

In the use of this retractor the a'pertured end of plate 31 is graspedby the operator and drawn outward which movement operates to compressspring 37 and the rear end wall of slot 35 engaging the neck of thefiring pin draws the plunger 5' back compress- WVhen the plunger isretracted to the desired extent it is locked in such position by trigger14 entering one of the notches 13 (see Fig. 8). The retractor isreleased after the setting of the plunger and its firing pin and thespring 37 expands and withdraws the retractor into cap .3 as shown inFig. 8 and the gun is ready to be loaded which is accomplished byopening cover 28 and inserting a projectile through opening 27 into thebore 4 in advance of the plunger. The cap carrier 21 is then opened anda cap placed on slat 26, the carrier closed and the gun is ready tofire. The firing is accomplished by releasing trigger 14 from itscotiperating notch in the plunger rod 6'. lVhen the trigger is releasedspring 16 expands and projects plunger 5 and firing pin 11simultaneously ejecting the projectile and firing the percussion capwhich is carried by seat 26thereby simulating the firing of a real gun.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the drawingsand set forth in the specification, but it will be understood that anymodifications within the scope of the claimed invention may be made inthe construction without departing from the principle of the inventionor sacrificing any of its advantages.

WVhat I claim is:

1. A device of the class described including a chamber having a firingpin mounted therein, and a percussion cap carrier composed ofrightangularly connected members and a plunger retractor connected withsaid hinged at their junction in position to prorod and adapted to bemoved outwardly to vide for one of said plates being swung into retractthe plunger, said retraotor being in said chamber, said plate having acap seat the form of a longitudinally slotted plate 15 to be located inthe path of said firing pin, withan apertured arm extending at right theother plate forming a combined operatangles from one end with a rodcarried by ing member and closure. said arm parallel with said plate,and a 2. In a device of the class described, a barcoiled spring on saldrod. rel having a sprlng projected plunger recip- In testimony whereof,I afiix my signature 20 rocable therein, a plunger rod extending hereto.through said barrel at the rear end thereof, MANTON E. JOHNSON.

